


Rosa

by SilverHeart09



Series: Series 11...but Thasmin [3]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/F, kissing solves everything, that problematic regeneration energy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:47:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21916984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverHeart09/pseuds/SilverHeart09
Summary: After confronting Krasko, the Doctor realises she isn't quite as 'done' as she initially thought.Luckily, Yaz is on hand to help.
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan
Series: Series 11...but Thasmin [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1578505
Comments: 16
Kudos: 115





	Rosa

Her neck stung all the way back to the motel and she rubbed at it occasionally, feeling her throat burn a little every time she swallowed. She knew it wasn’t because she was a woman now - Krasko didn't care about the gender of the person he strangled, or killed, that much was obvious- but it grated on her nerves that he’d been able to tower over her like that. She was just so used to being  _ tall.  _

True, she could have easily overpowered him if she’d so chosen, she hadn’t learnt Venusian Aikido for nothing after all, but that wasn’t the point; was it? Knowing that he couldn’t hurt her, knowing that for all his words he was still physically incapable of injuring another human being,  _ that  _ was the point. She felt she’d made it quite well, sore throat aside. 

She rubbed at her neck again, remembering the tightness of his hands.

‘What happened?!’

She looked up, blinking blankly. It took her a while to realise that she’d arrived back at the motel and that Yaz was in front of her, hand outstretched and reaching towards her throat. She wondered why she wasn’t in bed. It was late, the sky above was black and it had to be the middle of the night. She realised Yaz must have been waiting up for her, and her stomach twisted uncomfortably. It wouldn’t be good for her to get attached to these humans. She needed to get them home ASAP. Especially when Yaz was looking at her like  _ that.  _

‘Who did that to you?’ Yaz murmured. Her fingers almost brushed against the skin of her bruised throat and the Doctor pulled away from her when a surge of -  _ something  _ \- fired up inside and set her nerves alight. She really needed to get them back to Sheffield.

‘You should get inside, Yaz,’ she said. ‘It’s not safe for you to be out here.’ 

‘But it’s okay for you to walk the streets at night?’ Yaz asked, hands on her hips. ‘If it’s not safe for a woman to do that in modern day Sheffield it’s definitely not safe to do it here. Regardless of what colour you are.’

‘I can take care of myself, Yaz,’ the Doctor pointed out. 

‘Obviously not,’ Yaz replied with a pointed look at her throat. ‘Now who did that to you? Was it Krasko?’

The Doctor suddenly found herself wishing she’d decided a scarf would be a fun accessory with this outfit. She’d have to find one. Maybe one that matched her coat and top. 

‘I was right, Yaz,’ she said. ‘He can’t hurt people, not physically anyway, that’s why Rosa’s still alive. He literally  _ can’t  _ kill her, can’t lay a finger on her!’

‘That doesn’t make me feel better,’ Yaz said. ‘Especially now that I know he tried to  _ murder  _ you.’

‘I did egg him on a bit,’ the Doctor admitted. ‘But I was never in any danger, Yaz. The sonic picked up a neural inhibitor on him, I had to go back and check to make sure but it means he’s physically incapable of harming another living thing.’

Yaz stepped forward and this time the Doctor didn't pull away, allowing her to step into her personal space though she suddenly found herself holding her breath. Yaz’s fingers on her neck were soft and gentle and the Doctor avoided looking at her face, looking up at the stars instead as Yaz traced the bruises against her pale skin; her sharp intake of breath indicating it was likely worse than the Doctor had initially thought.

‘Didn't it hurt?’ Yaz whispered, and the Doctor shook her head.

‘No, I can do a thing. If for any reason I can’t suck in air my body stores an emergency supply that bypasses my lungs to keep my blood oxygenated. It would take me ages to suffocate.’

‘That’s not what I asked you,’ Yaz said.

She was a smart cookie. The Doctor wasn’t surprised that she liked her so much. 

‘Wait.’

Yaz was frowning, looking at her neck in confusion, and the Doctor felt regeneration energy burn across her skin; her neck tingling like it was on fire as the bruises were wiped away.

‘I’m not really done yet,’ the Doctor said quietly. ‘I mean I am, but I’ve still got a little bit knocking around. Handy for scrapes like this.’ 

‘Scrapes like this where you almost die?’ Yaz said, and the Doctor realised that perhaps she was being too blaise about this. Yaz was clearly upset.

She was about to apologise, or say something soothing or try and smooth things over, but an unexpected bolt of regeneration energy fired across her chest and she gasped, bent over as her hand clutched over her right heart. She hadn’t noticed anything was wrong, but perhaps she really wasn’t as done as she thought she was. Maybe one day she’d get a proper nap after regenerating, though she seriously doubted it.

‘Doctor?’

Yaz was beyond panicked now and, in an attempt to reassure her that everything was fine, the Doctor reached out to squeeze her hand and - 

Somehow ended up kissing her instead. 

Yaz squeaked and the Doctor pulled away quickly, face flushed with embarrassment as energy burned at the tips of her fingers.

‘Uh, sorry, Yaz. Regeneration energy can make your head go a bit, you know…’ she made a twirling motion against her head with her fingers but Yaz was only blinking at her, eyes wide.

‘You, you  _ kissed  _ me.’

‘Yeah, sorry. Didn't mean to.’

‘Didn't you?’

‘I don’t think so. That took me a bit by surpri-  _ ah!’ _

This time it was her kidney doing - well,  _ something.  _

‘Doctor, tell me what’s going on!’ Yaz insisted, gripping her arm tightly. 

‘It’s nothing, Yaz, honestly. Just repairing myself a little bit. Regeneration energy isn’t  _ completely  _ out of my system yet. Well I mean it never will be, it’s part of me, but usually it doesn’t decide when to suddenly start - AH!’

She dropped to her knees, arm around her waist as she pressed her forehead to the ground; groaning in pain. Her ectospleen was doing something peculiar. It was a bit dodgy, this ectospleen, no doubt it would give her problems in the future. 

‘Doctor, tell me what to do,’ Yaz begged, kneeling in front of her with her hands firmly gripping her arms. It felt nice, in a pressure/grounding type of way, and the Doctor leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Yaz’s, teeth gritted in agony. 

‘It’ll pass, just - take my mind off it,’ the Doctor begged her. ‘Talk to me or tickle me or I don’t know just think of  _ aaah.’ _

The pain was burning stronger now, climbing her chest and wrapping around her throat. It almost felt as though Krasko’s hands were around her neck again, choking her, but then Yaz was tilting up her chin and - 

And Yaz was kissing her. 

The Doctor would feel slightly embarrassed later about how desperately she clung to Yaz, but in the first moment when she felt Yaz’s lips against her own that’s exactly what she did. She hadn’t been kissed in - wow, was Missy the last person? That really made her feel old. This body seemed to like kissing, or at least she assumed it did judging by the way her hands slid into Yaz’s hair as she pulled her closer. Yaz didn't stop her, if anything she welcomed the contact, and it wasn’t long before Yaz was sucking on her tongue and the Doctor was practically melting against her; the burn from residual regeneration energy long forgotten.

‘Why did you stop?’ she whined when Yaz pulled away, panting and face flushed. 

‘I just - I thought you’d want me to stop,’ Yaz said. ‘You don’t look like you’re in pain anymore.’

‘True, but does that mean we have to stop kissing?’ the Doctor asked, head tilted in confusion. 

‘You, you want to carry on?’ Yaz asked, eyes wide. 

‘Well, yeah,’ the Doctor replied. ‘It felt nice. I’ve not had a proper snog yet in this body. Is that okay?’

Yaz looked like she was having a mini heart attack, but she nodded and stood up; dragging the Doctor to her feet. 

‘Not out here though,’ she whispered. ‘Let’s go inside.’

Graham and Ryan were both snoring when they snuck back inside and Yaz pulled her into the bathroom, closing the door behind them as quietly as possible. 

‘Are you sure about this?’ she asked, watching golden light spiral up the Doctor's forearm, then she held out her arm as the Doctor staggered, almost tripping over her feet and hitting the tiled wall.

‘Please, Yaz,’ she murmured. ‘It hurts. I can feel it in my veins, like -  _ ah - _ like burning. It should have stopped by now. Why hasn’t it stopped by now?’

She looked up at Yaz, pain in her eyes, and Yaz quickly pressed her hand against the Doctor's mouth when she let out a pained cry; grateful when the snoring from the boys continued next door. 

‘Ssh,’ Yaz whispered. ‘It’s alright, I’ll help. Just keep quiet, okay? Keep quiet.’

She pressed their lips together again, hands clutching the back of the Doctor's head as she pulled her in tightly. This was possibly the weirdest thing she’d ever done, snogging an alien in the bathroom of a motel in 1950’s Alabama because apparently she  _ wasn’t done yet,  _ but the Doctor was soft and yielding beneath her and she moved easily when Yaz pressed her back against the wall. She wasn’t sure how far the Doctor wanted to go, or indeed how far Yaz herself was willing to push this, but her body was on fire and the Doctor's lips tasted like sparks against her tongue. 

‘Is this helping?’ Yaz whispered, pulling back a little, but the Doctor only nodded and pulled her back; tugging at the hem of Yaz’s jumper and sliding her hands up the plane of her stomach before she realised what she was doing and stepped away, eyes wide. 

‘Sorry, Yaz,’ she apologised, face flushed in the low light of the room. ‘I’m just - my head is - and you’re so...’ 

She tapped at the side of her head and looked so adorably confused that Yaz stepped forward to place her hands on her hips, pushing the Doctor back against the wall so she could wrap her arms around her. 

‘Just tell me what you need,’ Yaz whispered, and the Doctor clung to her arms. 

‘You, I think,’ she mumbled. ‘If - if that’s okay.’

‘Of course.’ Yaz replied, noting how the Doctor's eyes glowed golden for a second before her face crumpled in pain. ‘This is gonna pass, isn’t it?’

‘Yeah,’ the Doctor said, eyes sliding shut as she pressed her face against Yaz’s neck and clung to her. ‘It’s just a bit of -  _ ow -  _ regeneration sickness. Then is what happens when you don’t get to - ah! - rest up properly. Please? You’re really helping.’

Kissing the Doctor feels so easy at this point that Yaz gets a little more bold and untucks her t-shirt, flattening her palms against the Doctor's stomach and feeling the defined muscles beneath. She’d seen her shirtless before, way back in Sheffield when the Doctor had been trying on outfits in the charity shop, and she still wasn’t over how blaise the Doctor had been about walking around shirtless. She’d caught a glimpse of her breasts then, though she’d tried her absolute hardest to avoid looking, but she’d never expected that the Doctor would - well,  _ want her  _ in that way, and now there was nothing she wanted more than to see them again; properly this time. 

The Doctor's coat and shirts were pulled over her head and abandoned to the floor and Yaz stepped between her legs, eyes fixed on the star-covered blue sports bra that Yaz herself had picked out for her. Golden energy slid across the Doctor’s chest, curling up around her neck, and the Doctor gasped and pulled Yaz towards her again, lips crushing her own so she could hide her moan of pain in Yaz’s mouth as she grabbed Yaz’s hands and pulled them up her chest, cupping her breasts over the soft material of her bra. 

‘Sorry, that took me by surprise,’ the Doctor panted a few moments later. ‘Maybe it’s a heart rate thing? I dunno. I’m getting on a bit, it’s probably just taking longer to heal nowadays.’

‘Please don’t remind me how old you are,’ Yaz murmured, sliding the material of her bra upwards and pulling the whole thing over her head, leaving her breasts exposed to the air. 

‘When did all my clothes come off?’ the Doctor said suddenly, looking down and frowning. ‘I didn't notice that happening.’

‘Do you want me to -’

‘No!’ the Doctor blurted out when Yaz bent down to pick up her t-shirt. ‘No. I mean. I - I want this, if you do too.’ 

The Doctor’s face was flushed, cheeks pink and eyes dark, and Yaz felt her breathing come out in short gasps when warm hands pushed her jacket from her shoulders and began to pull up her jumper; focusing on Yaz’s face all the while for the slightest inclination that this wasn’t what she wanted.

Yaz unbuttoned the Doctor's trousers and dropped them down her legs. 

‘You’re gonna have to keep quiet,’ Yaz whispered, pinching a nipple lightly between two fingers and immediately shoving her hand against the Doctor's mouth when she let out a quiet groan. They were silent for a few moments, listening carefully, but the snoring from next door continued. 

‘I can do that,’ the Doctor replied, nodding her head, but Yaz didn't believe her for a second. 

Energy burned in the Doctor's eyes again and Yaz swallowed her cry with her lips, one hand on her hip and the other in her hair as she pushed the Doctor back against the wall and kissed her softly, drawing all the pain out of her as best she could. Yaz nudged the Doctor's legs apart with her knee and settled herself firmly between them, trapping the other woman against the wall as she cupped a breast with her hand and rubbed her thumb across a firm nipple. The Doctor's skin was warm and energy snapped across Yaz’s hand as she sighed into her mouth. It didn't hurt, only tingled, and Yaz pulled her hand away to watch golden swirls disappear from her skin. 

‘It won’t hurt you,’ the Doctor murmured. ‘Promise.’

Yaz kissed her again firmly and slid a hand down between their bodies, heart pounding as she felt the elastic of the Doctor's underwear against her fingertips. She noticed the Doctor had stopped breathing, and she pulled away to check she was okay.

‘Don’t stop,’ the Doctor murmured, face desperate. ‘Please.’

Yaz pressed their lips together again, kissing her gently as she slid her hand downwards into the Doctor's underwear, feeling soft curls against her fingertips and then wet heat that coated her fingers and made her push her body further into the Doctor's, kissing her firmly as the other woman groaned and pressed upwards against her. 

‘Ssh,’ Yaz whispered, nodding her head towards the bathroom door. ‘They can’t hear.’

‘Sorry,’ the Doctor mumbled. ‘It just feels so - so -’

Yaz pulled her fingers up a little, rubbing over a small mound that even on an alien had to be a clit. The Doctor's head hit the wall and Yaz pressed her hand over her mouth again as she moaned. Keeping this woman quiet was going to be a serious challenge. Yaz had considered using her mouth on her but she needed it free to keep her silent. 

‘It’s all new,’ the Doctor sighed against Yaz’s skin. ‘I’ve never felt  _ anything  _ like this before and it feels like -’

Regeneration energy burned her ectospleen again and she collapsed onto her knees, shoving her own hand into her mouth as white hot pain erupted in her stomach. It hurt more this time but it was gone in an instant and the Doctor latched onto Yaz’s legs, fingers fumbling with the zipper of Yaz’s jeans so she could tug the tight material down. She’d always liked the look of skinny jeans but had never considered wearing them herself. Surely it would be too tight and impractical for running?

‘Doctor,’ Yaz moaned quietly above her, leaning back against the wall and fisting fingers in the Doctor's hair as the Doctor carefully started tugging down the flimsy material of her underwear. 

‘You wanted me to keep quiet,’ the Doctor reminded her. ‘This’ll do the job.’ 

Then she pressed her face between Yaz’s thighs and Yaz found herself having a hard time keeping her mouth shut. 

Yaz had been eaten out precisely three times in her life and it hadn’t been as good as this. It had been rushed before, a quick shag before a parent got home to catch them, and as a result she’d always associated sex with being this peculiar thing that adults did for some reason - maybe because everyone else was always going on about it - but which no-one actually enjoyed. 

If this was how it was  _ supposed  _ to feel though… well. Yaz could get behind that. 

A wet tongue prodded at her clit and Yaz arched her back, mouth open in a silent moan as she stared up at the filthy ceiling. Her body was on fire, nerve endings alight and sparking, and she wondered if this was what the Doctor was feeling; albeit with a bit more pain. 

Another particularly firm  _ press  _ made Yaz let out a quiet groan, too muffled to travel through the wall for the boys to then hear, but enough for the Doctor to make an answering moan between her legs that was a little bit louder.

‘You said you’d keep quiet,’ Yaz panted, a hand tangled in the Doctor's hair angling her just a  _ liiiittle  _ to the left. 

‘Sorry,’ the Doctor mumbled against her, though she didn't seem particularly apologetic. A slender finger pressed against her entrance, as though asking for permission, and Yaz pressed down against it, squeezing her eyes shut to avoid making a sound as the feel of the Doctor inside her threatened to overwhelm her senses. With her mouth sucking her clit and her finger pumping a punishing pace Yaz could feel herself slowly about to unravel. To say it had been a while would be an understatement and the Doctor was so  _ good.  _

Yaz brought up her knees around the Doctor's head, guiding her lips with a hand on her hair, pushing her hips up against her as she reached out with her other hand and tried to find something to grip onto when another slender finger slid into her to join the first. There was fire burning in her stomach and the throb between her legs was getting louder and louder as she spiralled towards the edge. She looked down and regretted it immediately as another rush of pleasure smacked into her. The sight of the Doctor's head between her legs wouldn’t be something she forgot in a hurry. The Doctor reached up a hand to slide under Yaz’s bra, slim fingers tugging lightly at her nipple, and Yaz shook from the effort of keeping quiet as her climax slammed into her and she clenched around the Doctor's fingers. It was a rush like she’d never felt before and she wished they were in a bed where she could pull the Doctor into her arms, rather than the cold tiled floor of a bathroom in Alabama; having to be quiet so they didn't wake Graham and Ryan. 

The Doctor climbed on top of her, shuddering a little as energy zipped through her head. It should have faded by now, but falling through the roof of that train had broken every bone in her body and she hadn’t given herself  _ nearly  _ enough time to recuperate. No wonder her body was punishing her now. It was started to ease a little though, even if it wasn’t fast enough for her liking, and with her fingers still buried inside Yaz the Doctor latched onto Yaz’s neck and sucked hard as she worked the younger woman up to another orgasm; Yaz’s breathy moans in her ear sending a rush of heat between her legs that made her clench and whimper against Yaz’s neck. She could have clambered under the covers in the next room and slept off the pain from the excess regeneration energy, but then Yaz had pulled her shirts off and - well, this was certainly preferable, if a little unexpected. 

There’s a part of her that’s enjoying this, that’s enjoying being in control. Her previous selves were so squirmish and uncomfortable when it came to sex or any other form of physical contact and she’s glad she’s finally in a body where she can enjoy the experience. Krasko’s hands around her throat had been - interesting, to say the least. She was pretty sure it wasn’t the act itself that had got her so hot and bothered, but more the knowledge that she was in control; that she could taunt him as much as she liked and he couldn’t physically hurt her or anyone else. 

Yaz pressed down against her fingers and let out a moan, muffled in the Doctor's shoulder. The last thing either of them wanted was for the men to hear what they were up to but when Yaz reached down and slid a hand into the Doctor's underwear it was hard to keep quiet and the Doctor pressed her face into Yaz’s hair, thrusting hard between her legs as Yaz’s slender fingers rubbed against her clit. This is certainly not how she’d expected this particular adventure to go, and in truth she was starting to find it hard to keep the facts straight in her brain. Why were they there they again? Oh yeah. Rosa Parks. 

She barely noticed Yaz clenching around her fingers for a third time, her nails digging into the Doctor's arms as she held onto her as her orgasm hit hard. The Doctor looked down at her, flushed and pink and beautiful below her. How had they ended up doing this again? And where was that throb between her legs coming from -

_ Oh. _

Yaz flipped them over, reversing their positions so she could staddle the Doctor’s lap and drag her underwear down and off her legs, leaving her bare on the floor. The Doctor looked up at her, vision fading through the haze of golden energy drifting across her eyes. She felt two fingers slide inside her, stretching a muscle that had never been stretched before, but whilst there was a little sting to the sensation it also felt  _ incredible  _ and the Doctor gripped Yaz’s hips and urged her to move as Yaz’s thumb slid over her clit and the fingers began to pump in and out of her. This was like nothing she’d ever experienced as a man. These were sensations she didn't think it was even possible to feel and she thought, through the haze of pleasure and burn of energy, that she was grateful her first time was with Yaz. 

She must have been making a noise, she wouldn’t be surprised if she had been judging from the waves of pleasure sweeping up between her legs, as then Yaz was leaning over to kiss her again; sliding her tongue into the Doctor's mouth as she worked her up higher and higher. Yaz’s other hand cupped her breast, rubbing across her nipple and the Doctor sucked on her tongue in desperation as the start of something tight began to coil in her stomach. 

Something about Rosa Parks. Something about artron energy. Why had they come here again?

A car drove past outside, music from the radio carrying the soft voice of Ella Fitzgerald in through the open bathroom window. The Doctor felt as though the music was swirling around in her head and she tried to cling to it as Yaz sighed against her neck, the palm of her hand hitting her clit with every thrust.

_ It was written high above... that I have to have your love. _

‘Yaz…’

It wasn’t really a moan, although it may have come out like one. It was more of a question. Yaz was kissing her, Yaz was fucking her, her mind was full of artron energy, her body fizzling with the aftereffects but she wasn’t regenerating; was she? She didn't think so. 

‘Ssh,’ Yaz murmured, lips on her neck and fingers moving faster. ‘I’ve got you.’

Pleasure slammed into her and the Doctor's hips bucked upwards as she cried out, Yaz’s mouth immediately on hers again swallowing her moans as she carried her through her climax, keeping the pressure on her clit until it was too much and the Doctor was breathing hard and clinging onto Yaz. 

That was - that had been - 

_ Why had they come here again? _

‘Better?’ Yaz whispered, and the Doctor nodded gratefully. The regeneration energy was gone. She could no longer feel it burning her veins and the pain had vanished, though her head still felt cloudy. Except she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with this whole situation. 

‘Come on,’ Yaz said softly, helping her to sit upwards and retrieving their clothes. ‘You feel cold. Let’s get into bed.’ 

The Doctor wanted to tell Yaz that it was perfectly normal for her to feel cold, that Gallifreyans had a significantly lower core body temperature to humans, but her mouth felt swollen and her tongue felt heavy and she accepted Yaz’s help mutely as her t-shirts were tugged back over her head and her underwear was slid back up her legs. She felt dizzy and her vision was started to go, shapes becoming blurry around her as Yaz reached down and helped her to her feet. The Doctor pressed her face into Yaz’s neck, her new favourite place to rest, and Yaz carefully opened the bathroom door so they could stumble out into the bedroom; Graham and Ryan still snoring as they top and tailed in one of the tiny twin beds.

They’d come here because of Rosa Parks. No, that was wrong, they’d come here because of  _ artron  _ energy. And then they’d found - what was his name? The guy, whatshisface. He’d - he’d - he’d hurt her, hadn’t he?

Why had Yaz kissed her?

‘Are you okay with this?’ Yaz whispered as they climbed into the other bed and Yaz laid down quietly next to her. ‘Sharing a bed, I mean?’

The Doctor wanted to tell her how silly that was after what they’d just been doing, but her thoughts were swirling and her head was pounding and she pressed her face into Yaz’s shoulder instead; drawing her close as a wave of dizziness threw her off balance. 

Yaz curled around her, arms tight around her waist, and as the Doctor slowly succumbed to the exhaustion it occurred to her that she couldn’t remember how her and Yaz had got into the bed. Why were they holding each other? Why was there a dull ache between her legs? How easy it was, to - to -

To forget these things. 

\---

The sound of a kettle boiling woke her up in the morning and the Doctor blinked away the sleep from her mind, scronching her face and rubbing her eyes as she sat up. Flimsy cotton sheets fell away and the Doctor immediately reached out next to her, though she wasn’t sure why as there was no-one there; despite the warmth of the sheets. 

‘Sorry, Doc,’ Graham apologised, nodding at the kettle. ‘I was desperate and we’d better get moving if we’re gonna keep history on the right track. Thought I’d let you sleep in a bit, you seemed tired yesterday, if you don’t mind me saying. Fancy a cuppa?’

Coffee in hand, the Doctor stepped outside into the sun. Yaz and Ryan were chatting to each other, hidden behind the wall and out of sight of any passers-by, and the Doctor didn't miss the way Yaz’s face flushed when she saw her; cheeks coloured rosy pink. 

‘Morning!’ the Doctor said cheerily. ‘Sorry I slept in, my heads all over the place this morning. I don’t even remember getting back to the motel last night.’

Yaz frowned. 

‘Did you find Krasko?’ Ryan asked eagerly. ‘Did you work out what it was the sonic picked up on him?’

‘Yes!’ the Doctor remembered. ‘A neural restrictor. Stormcage put it in his brain, stops him from physically harming anyone.’

‘That must be how Rosa is still alive,’ Graham said, joining them with a steaming mug of tea in his hand. ‘He didn't hurt  _ you,  _ did he, Doc?’

‘He had a go,’ the Doctor replied, suddenly remembering the hands around her throat. ‘But he couldn’t. Physically harming another living creature is now out of the question, hence all the fiddling around in time. Instead he’s going to try and manipulate the key players enough so that Rosa never gets asked to give up her seat.’ 

‘How’s he gonna do that?’ Ryan asked, and the Doctor shook her head. 

‘I don’t know. We’d better have a poke about. You ready, gang? Yaz? You okay?’

Yaz could only nod, still feeling confused about the events of last night. She remembered them all so clearly, she had the hickey on her neck to prove it that she was only just managing to hide with her hair, but if the Doctor really  _ didn't  _ remember getting back to the motel last night…

‘Are you feeling better this morning?’ Yaz asked, keeping the Doctor back while the two men went inside to grab their coats. 

‘Of course,’ the Doctor smiled cheerily. ‘Why wouldn’t I be?’

‘Well, it’s just, you were in pain last night,’ Yaz said, something akin to dread settling in her stomach. 

‘Was I?’ 

The Doctor looked confused.  _ Proper  _ confused. 

‘Yeah. You said it was regeneration energy or something,’ Yaz tried to remember. ‘You said you hadn’t had a chance to rest properly and getting strangled by Krasko had kick-started it again or something.’

‘Did I?’

The Doctor tilted her head at Yaz, face scronched, then she smiled and brushed off her concerns. 

‘It’s weird what regeneration energy can do to you. It’s good stuff but it can play around with your memory a bit too. Like not remembering my name when we first met! Remember?’

‘It can make you forget?’ Yaz whispered, and the Doctor nodded before her eyes creased into a frown and gentle fingers nudged aside Yaz’s hair.

‘What’s that? Did someone hurt you?’ the Doctor asked her, fingertip tracing around the edge of the hickey.

Yaz felt tears behind her eyes and the Doctor looked horrified. 

‘Yaz! What happened? Are you okay? Did someone do that to you?’

‘Do you really not remember last night?’ Yaz asked, her voice thick as she brushed away the tears as quickly as she could. 

‘No,’ the Doctor replied, forehead creased as she tried to think back. ‘I remember meeting Krasko then coming back here but that’s it. I don’t even remember falling asleep. I must have been knackered. But your neck, Yaz. Tell me what happened to your neck.’

‘It’s nothing,’ Yaz said with a smile. ‘I burnt it on a curling iron ages ago. It’s just taking a while to heal.’

It was clear the Doctor didn't believe her.

‘Then why are you so upset?’ she asked gently. 

‘It’s just weird, all this,’ Yaz lied, wiping the tears from her face. ‘It just got a bit much, you know? Trying to save Rosa Parks and stop history from being altered. It’s a big responsibility.’

‘You can do it,’ the Doctor urged her. ‘I know you can.’ She smiled and tucked a strand of Yaz’s hair behind her ear. ‘I’ve never met anyone as capable as you. And don’t worry! You’re not alone. It’s four of us against one of Krasko. He doesn’t stand a chance.’

Yaz nodded and plastered a smile on her face. 

‘Yeah. You’re right. Lemme grab my coat.’

She turned to walk away but the Doctor grabbed her hand and when Yaz looked at her she saw concern creasing her features.

‘Yasmin,’ the Doctor said gently. ‘Did something happen last night that I don’t remember? Is that why you’re so upset? Is there something I need to know?’

Yaz wanted to tell her. She almost did, but what could she possibly say?  _ You were in pain so I fucked you.  _ No. Perhaps it was better this way. Perhaps it was better the Doctor didn't remember. At least this way it was unlikely to affect the team dynamics. If a team is really what they were. 

‘No,’ Yaz replied, her fake smile aching with the effort of keeping it on. ‘Nothing happened.’ 

Then she headed back into the motel, heart aching in her chest, tears burning behind her eyes, and a profound sense of loss coursing under her skin.

  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
